


Return to The Unknown

by lbk_princen



Category: Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Family Feels, Limbo, Oneshot, i guess, talk of death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-28 23:20:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6349762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lbk_princen/pseuds/lbk_princen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With The Beast defeated and the scissors given to Beatrice, Wirt and Greg can finally leave The Unknown.</p><p>....Can't they?</p><p>Years later, Greg finds himself back in the forest that started it all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Return to The Unknown

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by this post by starfleetrambo http://starfleetrambo.tumblr.com/post/103383285783/what-if-he-only-managed-to-get-greg-home which eventually led to this OTGW/Gravity falls crossover comic http://starfleetrambo.tumblr.com/post/107605794303/prologue-1-2-garden-falls-content-warning (it's really good, I highly recommend it)

_***Prelude***_

 

The wind blew quietly through the trees, making what leaves were left rustle and the ones fallen to dance through the air. The sun was partially hidden by thick clouds; the air tasted like rain. Down on the forest floor, Wirt’s mismatched shoes crunched the leaves underfoot as he walked, holding the lantern up for him to see his path. It was always dark in the forest, always a little chilly and a little damp.

It’d been a long time since Greg had left. Wirt wasn’t sure how long exactly. He wasn’t even sure time had meaning in The Unknown. The seasons changed erratically, and night came so quickly most times it was as if a switch had been pressed, the sun’s light snuffed out. Ever since he’d carried his brother to the edge of the forest and sent him on his way, Wirt had been living with Beatrice’s family and patrolling the woods for people who may have gotten lost. He wanted to help them find their way, help them through the trees to where they needed to go; just like he’d helped Greg.

Wirt still remembered what he'd said to him.

“I can’t carry you through here, Greg, you need to walk. I know you’re tired, but we’re almost there. You go first. I’m right behind you.”

He wished he hadn’t had to lie, but he knew that Greg wouldn’t go if he knew he’d be leaving Wirt behind.

Wirt didn’t quite understand how or why he couldn’t go home too, or how he knew that only one of them could go back. There were a lot of things about the woods of The Unknown that he didn’t quite understand. He understood enough, though. He understood that, with The Beast extinguished, the task of lantern bearer was no longer a futile and lonely one. He understood who he was now, and it wasn’t a lover or even a pilgrim. He was a guide.

His light shone on the outline of a young woman, crouched in the leaves. Wirt stopped, and lowered the lantern a little. “Uh, miss?” he said. She looked at him, and her eyes looked lost. Wirt smiled, partly to show her he was friendly, and partly in wistfulness. Their eyes always looked lost. “Would you like some help?” he asked, and offered her his hand.

She nodded and took it, and he helped her to stand.

“Do you know which way you’re going?” he asked.

“No,” she said, her voice quiet and puzzled. “I’d like to go home. Out of this forest.” She gestured to the trees around them. It was already getting dark. “My brother is waiting for me.”

Wirt felt a pang in his heart. “Yeah. Mine too.” He turned and started walking, his cape swishing softly around him. “This way. I think I know where you’re headed.”

 

_***End Prelude***_

 

Greg strolled through the forest, his hands leisurely in his pockets as he whistled a merry tune. Something about the dreary woods was familiar to him, although he couldn’t quite place why. He kept walking, not really sure how he’d ended up there. It wasn’t unusual for him to take walks, so he must have simply come into the forest without realising.

The dirt under his feet eventually gave way to leaves and gnarled roots from the wide-trunked trees around him. Still he just walked, humming under his breath. Somewhere nearby, he heard a frog croak.

Up ahead, Greg saw a light in between the trees. It was moving, and he could just make out the outline of the person holding it. They had an oddly large cone-shaped hat.

As the figure with the light drew closer, Greg’s humming died out and he halted, disbelief thrumming through him. “Wirt?” he called out, hoping against hope that it was really him.

The figure turned, obviously surprised, and Greg saw the face of his half-brother, looking exactly as he had the day he died.

“Oh, uh, hi.” Wirt stepped awkwardly over a log as he came closer, almost losing his hat. He straightened the awful thing on his head and held up his lantern to see better. Greg felt his heart swell. It really was Wirt. Just as awkward and painfully teenaged as he remembered. “Are you lost?” Wirt asked, and it occurred to Greg that there was no way Wirt would recognize him. It’d been over forty years since they’d last seen each other.

“Yes, actually, I believe I am,” Greg said, glancing back the way he’d come. He looked back to Wirt and smiled. “Can you help me out of here?”

Wirt nodded, straightening his shoulders. “Yes. Yes I can. I just need to know which side you’re going to.” He looked Greg up and down, contemplative. “Hmm. Could be either or, so it’d be a real help if you knew.”

Greg shrugged helplessly, but removed his hands from his pockets. “Darned if I know. We can just walk for a bit, I don’t mind. Maybe we could do a bit of frog hunting?”

Wirt let out a surprised laugh and walked along with him. “I uh, I don’t know about that,” he said, lifting the lantern a little higher to cast the light further. “My brother likes to catch frogs, but the last time we went frog hunting it didn’t end so well.”

Greg looked at Wirt for a long time, still smiling. “I dunno. I had fun. And that’s a rock fact.”

Wirt stopped so suddenly that the lantern swung in his grip. He stared at Greg, his eyes wide and his mouth open. “Greg?” he said it so softly that the wind almost washed away the noise completely.

“Still wearing your Halloween costume, huh?” Greg said in reply.

“Greg!” Wirt dropped the lantern and threw himself at Greg, tackling the man in a tight hug. Greg laughed and hugged him back.

“I can’t believe I’m bigger than you now,” Greg said. Wirt’s head barely came up to his shoulder.

“I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you,” Wirt said quietly.

“It’s okay. It’s been a long time.”

“I can’t believe you’re here.” Wirt pulled back suddenly, staring hard at Greg. “Why _are_ you here?”

Greg shrugged, and picked the lantern up from the ground to hand it back to Wirt. “I’m not quite sure, if I’m honest,” he said. “Is Beatrice still around? She did get to turn her family back into humans, right?”

“Yes.” Wirt accepted the lantern and smoothed himself out. “But I want to know why you’re in The Unknown.”

“Is that where we are?” Greg put his hands on his hips and surveyed the dark forest surrounding them. “It’s rather strange, knowing I was here all that time ago.”

“It’s strange to see you here,” Wirt admitted, a heavy sadness in his eyes. “You’re all grown up.”

Greg felt the same sadness echo inside himself. “And you never did grow up.”

The two stood in silence for another few seconds, taking each other in.

“Welp, we better get going,” Wirt said eventually. “This way. I want to hear about what you’ve been doing.”

“I want to hear what you’ve been doing too,” Greg said as he set off beside his brother.

“Oh, you know, just guiding lost and tortured souls through a dark forest of misery and limbo,” Wirt said with a shrug. “Nothing exciting.”

Greg laughed. “You’re the same as ever, Wirt,” he sighed.

“Yeah.” Wirt lowered his head a little bit. “This place… it doesn’t change much. People come, people go. Some people stay, but most…” he hesitated. “I think part of the reason I never moved on from this place is because I was hoping I’d get to see you again. I don’t know what I imagined it’d be like, but…”

Greg rested his hand on Wirt’s shoulder. “Maybe this time we can both go through?” he suggested softly.

Wirt’s eyes glistened as he looked up at Greg. “Yeah, maybe.”


End file.
